FORT COLLINS — A judge Monday put up a massive roadblock in the prosecution of a Fort Collins police detective accused of perjuring himself for 12 years during the Tim Masters murder probe, but court watchers say the case against Lt. Jim Broderick isn't stalled yet.

"This case has taken on more subplots than any movie I've ever seen," said Troy Krenning, a former cop who's now a Fort Collins attorney. "And I don't think it's over yet."

Weld County District Judge James Hartmann dismissed all seven felony perjury charges against Broderick, who quickly zeroed in on Masters as the key suspect in the 1987 murder of Peggy Hettrick.

Hartmann ruled that the three- year statute of limitations for perjury in the case had lapsed. That statute is a "very unforgiving standard," Krenning said.

The statute of limitations for a perjury prosecution covers three years after the crime is committed. The law also allows the three years to start again after the perjury has been discovered, Krenning said.

Hartmann ruled that prosecutors never specified when the perjury was discovered, Krenning said.

"He is a very smart judge who applied the law and information as he saw it," Krenning said.

Weld District Attorney Ken Buck, who is handling the prosecution of the Broderick case, said Monday that he was evaluating the judge's order "and will proceed accordingly by way of superseding indictment if legally appropriate."

Buck probably has three options, Krenning said.

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• Buck can file a motion with Hartmann to reconsider his ruling and to clarify the timeline in the case.

• Prosecutors can appeal directly to the Colorado Supreme Court.

• Prosecutors can bypass a grand jury and file charges directly against Broderick.

"I don't think either side in the case should be declaring victory or wallowing in defeat at this point," Krenning said. "I think there is still plenty to do."

Masters was convicted in 1999 of the Hettrick murder and served nearly 10 years in prison before DNA evidence pointed to another unnamed suspect. Masters was freed in 2008.

"The charges were not only untimely; they are unfounded," Tooley said. "If the charges had not been dismissed now, they would have been dismissed later."

Tooley said Broderick had no comment.

Last June, a grand jury indicted Broderick, 54, on eight counts of perjury in connection with his investigation and testimony in the conviction of Masters. One of those counts was previously dismissed by Hartmann.

Fort Collins and Larimer County paid Masters $10 million to settle his federal wrongful-imprisonment lawsuit. Two judges who prosecuted the Masters case were voted out of office in a retention election in November.

In February, Broderick pleaded "absolutely innocent" to the charges.

Masters was traveling Monday and couldn't be reached for comment. But his relatives, who have followed the Broderick case closely, said the judge's decision was stunning.

"It was like a kick in the stomach," said Masters' uncle John Masters. "But that's the way the system is, and we have to abide by the system."

Still, he said he was infuriated that Hartmann's decision came on Monday and not today, when a public hearing was originally scheduled.

"It's almost like they snuck it in," John Masters said. "Did they think we would riot and tear down the courthouse or something?"

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